This Community Focus Group (CFG) will be focused on portions of the current and future Detroit City Charter that concerns civilian oversight of the Detroit Police Department, especially the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC).

* Some soft drinks or appetizers may be provided but we have no budget, so contributions toward shared items will be welcome

If you see any posts suggesting a different date, please disregard them.

Please send any of the following to scottyboman@hotmail.com :

Suggested changes to the charter (concerning the BOPC).*

What aspects of the current charter (concerning the BOPC) do you wish to preserve.

Any new ideas that may not relate directly to any section of the current charter.

* Suggested changes should be composed in a manner whereby it is clear what will be deleted and what no words will be inserted. The standard way of doing this is to present the entire section that will be effected, but use red strike-through font for the portions to be removed, and use bold or underlined blue print for new content.

Here is a summary of parts of the current charter that we will be discussing:

Here is content mentioned on other pages (likely to overlap with other focus groups and with committees other than Public Agency):

ARTICLE 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 2-105. Definitions and Rules of Construction.

A. As used in this Charter:

12. District or ward means a district drawn on a geographical basis, which constitutes a political unit from which members of the City Council, Board of Police Commissioners and Community Advisory Councils are elected.

13. Elective officers means the Mayor, each member of the City Council, elected Board of Police Commissioners and the City Clerk.

ARTICLE 3. ELECTIONS

Sec. 3-105. City Elections and City Council Initiated Ballot Proposals.

If a vacancy occurs in an elective office of the Board of Police Commissioners it shall be filled by the Mayor with a resident from the relevant district, subject to City Council approval. If City Council does not disapprove the appointment within thirty (30) days of the appointment it will be deemed confirmed. The appointed person shall serve until an elected member takes office. The election to fill the vacant position shall occur at the next general election to be held not sooner than one hundred eighty (180) days after occurrence of the vacancy.

Sec. 3-107. Elective Officers of the City.

The elective officers of the city are the Mayor, the nine (9) members comprising the City Council, the City Clerk and seven (7) elected Board of Police Commissioners.

Sec. 3-109. Nominating Petitions.

In the initial election, where a candidate is seeking nomination to the office of district elected Police Commissioner, the candidate’s petition shall be signed by a number of voters of the district equal to not more than one percent (1%) nor less than one-fourth percent (1/4%) of the number resulting when the total number of votes cast at the preceding Regular City General Election for all offices of the City Council members is divided by nine (9). In succeeding elections the candidate’s petitions shall be signed by a number of voters of the district equal to not more than one percent (1%) nor less than one-fourth percent (1/4%) of the number resulting when the total number of votes cast at the preceding Regular City General Election for all offices of elected Board of Police Commissioners is divided by seven (7).

Sec. 3-111. Residency Requirement for Elective Officers.

2. City Council and Board of Police Commissioners.

In addition to being a resident for one (1) year, as required above, candidates for City Council and the Board of Police Commissioners shall be bona fide residents of their districts and must maintain their principal residence in their districts for one (1) year immediately preceding election or appointment and throughout their tenure in that office.